Bellator signs world-ranked bantamweight Masakatsu Ueda

Sources close to the world-ranked bantamweight told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) the Japanese veteran has agreed to a multi-fight deal with the organization.

Terms of the contract were not disclosed.

A debut date and opponent have not been determined, but Ueda is considered a likely participant in a season-six bantamweight tournament that kicks off in March. Bellator also hosts eight-man tournaments in the featherweight, lightweight, welterweight and middleweights divisions that air on MTV2.

Ueda, a wrestling and grappling champion, is perhaps best known for his two-year reign as Shooto’s featherweight (132-pound) champion. He won the vacant title with a victory over Koetsu Okazaki before a split-draw with Marcos Galvao and decision victories over So Tazawa and Eduardo Dantas. He ultimately lost his belt in an upset to Shuichiro Katsumura in early 2010.

Since then, he’s won four straight fights, including a recent lightweight win over the retiring Royler Gracie at Amazon Forest Combat 1 back in September.

For more on Bellator’s upcoming season, stay tuned to the MMA Rumors section of the site.

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